Dam water levels lower than 2018 due to poor rainfall

12 Jan 2019 14:00pm

WINDHOEK, 12 JAN (NAMPA) - The water levels of the Naute Dam near Keetmanshoop in the //Kharas Region, the biggest dam in Namibia, is now 65.5 per cent full, compared to 72.3 per cent last (2018) year at the same time.
The latest rainfall bulletin of the Namibia Hydrological Service in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forest made available to Nampa on Saturday showed that the level of the Hardap Dam near Mariental in the Hardap Region now stands at 34.2 per cent, compared to 44.2 per cent at the same time in 2018.
The Swakoppoort Dam, located some 50 kilometres outside the town of Okahandja in the Otjozondjupa Region, is now 22.9 per cent full, compared to 40.5 per cent last year (2018) at the same time.
The levels of the Von Bach Dam in the Okahandja district and the Oanob Dam neat the town of Rehoboth in the Hardap Region also kept on dropping and are now below the levels recorded at the same time last year.
At the moment, the Von Bach Dam stands at 52.1 per cent full, compared to 59.6 per cent at the same time in 2018.
The Oanob Dam is now 58.1 per cent, compared to 72.3 per cent full at the same time last year.
However, the Omatako Dam in the Otjozondjupa Region now stands at 1.4 per cent, compared to 0.2 per cent full at the same time last year.
The levels of water on the Namibian northern borders' rivers - the Zambezi, Okavango and Kunene - continue to have a steadily rise due to the recent good rainfall received in their headwaters over the past few days.
However, the water levels are still lower than the same time last year.
No flows observed or reported in the Cuvelai Iishana (pans) so far in the North.
Furthermore, very low water levels are also observed on the lower Orange River at NamWater's hydrological stations at Blouputs and Sendelingsdrift in the southern parts of the country.
(NAMPA)
SKE/HP